Scottsdale 101 Art Walls

Photos by Lisa E White

Scottsdale has the most beautiful freeways in the Southwest, thanks to The Path Most Traveled by Carolyn Braaksma (Forman and Engelmann), 1999.  In 1996, Arizona cut off funds for freeway art in order to speed up construction of the 101, which opened North of Shea in 1999.  This award-winning project decorates about six miles of the 101 North of the Via Linda exit.  She used abstract motifs inspired by Native American art with local cactus and lizards.  Walls formed from cast-in-place concrete, paint and ceramic tile adorn these noise abatement walls which separate the freeway from nearby neighborhoods.  The walls recently went through a renovation, where part of this outstanding design was replaced with higher, more effective walls, set back in preparation for the new lane that is to be added to the 101.  Though not as visually pleasing, the new wall has kept some of the original design.
Info: The Path Most Traveled